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Message  or  the 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #98 


MESSAGE   OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Richmond,  Va  ,  March  13,  1865. 

To  tie  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  : 

I  herewith  transmit  for  your  information,  copies  of  the  corres- 
pondence referred  to  in  my  message  of  this  date,  in  regard  to  the 
proposed  conference  to  adjust  terms  of  peace  by  means  of  a  mili- 
•tarv  convention. 

JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


LETTER  OF  GENERAL  R.  E.  LEE. 


Headquarters  C.  S.  Arises,      ( 
2d  March,.  1865.  { 

Lt.  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  commanding  U.  S.  Armies : 

General : — Lt.  Gen.  Longstreet  has  informed  me  that,  in  a  recent 
conversation  between  himself  and  Major  General  Ord,  as  to  the 
possibility  of  arriving  at  a  satisfactory  adjustment  of  the  present 
unhappy  difficulties,  by  means  of  a  military  convention,  Gen.  Ord 
stated  that  if  I  desired  to  have  an  interview  with  ycu  on  the  sub- 
ject, you  would  not  decline,  provided  I  had  authority  to  act.  Sin- 
cerely desiring  to  leave  nothing  untried  which  may  put  an  end  to 
the  calamities  of  war.  I  propose  to  meet  you  at  such  convenient 
time  and  place  as  ycu  may  designate,  with  the  hope  that  upon  an 
interchange  of  views,  it  may  be  found  practicable  to  submit  the  sub- 
jects of  controversy  between  the  belligerents  to  a  convention  of  the 
kind  mentioned. 

In  such  event.  I  am  authorized  to  do  whatever  the  result  of  the 
proposed  interview  may  render  necessary  or  advisable.  Should 
you  accede  to  this  proposition,  1  would  suggest  that,  if  agreeable 
to  you,  we  meet  at  the  place  selected  by  Generals  Ord  and  Long- 
street  for  the  interview,  at  11  A.  M.,  on  Monday  next. 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 
(Signed)  R.  E.  LEE,  General. 

Official  copy  : 

(Signed)     C.  S.  Venable,  A.  A.  G. 
H  eadquarters,  March  7,  1865. 


LETTER  OF  GENERAL  U.  S.  GRANT 


Headquarters  Armies  U.  S..      ) 
March  4,  1865.  j 

Gen.  R.  E.  Lee,  commanding  C.  S.  Armies  : 

General : — Your  two  letters  of  the  20th  inst.,  were  received  yes- 
terday. In  regard  to  any  apprehended  misunderstanding  in  refer- 
ence to  the  exchange  of  political  prisoners,  I  think  there  need  be 
none.  Geji.  Ord  or  Gen.  Longstreet  have  probably  misunderstood 
what  I  said  to  the  former  on  the  subject,  or  I  may  have  failed  to 
make  myself  understood,  possibly.  A  few  days  before  the  inter- 
view between  Generals  Longstreet  and  Ord,  I  had  received  a  dis- 
patch from  Gen.  Huffman,  Commissary  Gen.  of  prisoners,  stating 
in  substance  that  all  prisoners  of  war  who  were  or  had  been  in  close 
confinement  or  irons,  whether  under  charges  or  sentence,  had  been 
ordered  to  City  Point  for  exchange.  I  forwarded  the  substance  of 
that  dispatch  to  Lieut.  Col.  Mulford,  Asst.  Agent  of  Exchange,  and 
presumed  it  probable  that  he  had  communicated  it  to  Col.  Ro.  Ould. 
A  day  or  two  after,  an  offender,  who  was  neither  a  prisoner  of  war 
nor  a  political  prisoner,  was  executed,  after  a  fair  and  impartial 
trial,  and  in  accordance  with  the  laws  of  war  and  the  usage  of  civ- 
ilized nations.  It  was  in  explanation  of  this  class  of  cases  I  told 
Gen.  Ord  to  speak  to  Gen.  Longstreet. 

Reference  to  my  letter  of  February  16th  will  show  my  under- 
standing on  the  subject  of  releasing  political  or  citizen  prisoners. 

In  regard  to  meeting  you  on  the  6th  inst,  I  would  state  that  I 
have  no  authority  to  accede  to  your  proposition  for  a  conference 
on.  the  subject  proposed.  Such  authority  is  vested  in  the  President 
of  the  United  States  alone. 

Gen.  Ord  could  only  have  meant  that  I  would  not  refuse  an  in- 
terview  on   any    subject   which   I   have   a  right  to  act ;  which,  of 
course,  would  be  such  as  are  purely  of  a  military  character,  and  on 
the  subject  of  exchange,  which  has  been  entrusted  to  me. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant. 
(Signed)  U.  S.  GRANT,  Lieut  Gen. 


LETTER  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 

Richmond,  Va.,  February  28th,  1865. 
Gen,  R.  E.  Lee,  commanding,  4'C,  Sfc. 
General :— You  will  learn  by  the  letter  of  Gen.  Longstreet,  the 


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result  of  his  second  interview  with  Gen.  Orel.  The  point  as  to 
whether  yourself  or  Gen.  Grant  should  invite  the  other  to  a  con- 
fenence,  is  not  worth  discussing.  If  you  think  the  statements  of 
Gen.  Ord  render  it  probably  useful  that  the  conference  suggested 
should  be  had,  you  will  proceed  as  you  may  prefer,  and  are  clothed 
with  all  the  supplemental  authority  you  may  need  in  the  considera- 
tion of  any  proposition  for  a  military  convention,  or  the  appoint- 
ment of  a  commissioner  to  enter  into  such  an  arrangement  a?  will 
cause  at  least  temporary  suspension  of  hostilities. 

Very  truly  yours, 
Signed)  JEFFERSON  DAVIS. 


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